Empowering open source for civic impact across Africa and beyond.
Quality contributions. Real change. #Hacktoberfest2025
- 🚀 Table of Contents
- 🎯 About Hacktoberfest
- 🌟 About OpenGov Africa
- 📖 How to Participate
- 💼 Workflow Example
- ✅ Best Practices
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid- 💡 Creating Your Own Issues
- 🗂️ Team Repositories
- 🆘 Getting Help
- 🏆 Recognition & Growth
- 📚 Resources & Quick Links
- ❓ FAQ
- 👥 Contributors
- 🤝 Code of Conduct
- 📢 Announcements & Social
- 📄 License
Hacktoberfest is an annual celebration of quality open source contributions. It's about making impactful, inclusive improvements—not just adding numbers. This repository connects you with real-world, high-value issues to drive open governance, transparency, and civic tech growth in Africa.
Hacktoberfest celebrates quality over quantity. To ensure your work counts:
- ✅ Your Pull Requests (PRs) must be in a repository tagged with the
hacktoberfesttopic, or have thehacktoberfest-acceptedlabel - ✅ Contributions should provide meaningful value to the open-source community
- ❌ Trivial contributions (adding your name to a list, minor typos, spam) will be rejected
We're here to build meaningful tools, designs, and data projects for the African civic space—not filler content.
OpenGov Africa is a community-driven, open-source organization building Africa's first civic-tech STEM startup. We focus on:
- 🔍 Transparency - Making government data accessible
- ⚖️ Accountability - Building tools for citizen oversight
- 🌐 Digital Inclusion - Empowering communities with technology
- 💡 Governance Innovation - Reimagining how democracy works
Our work spans civic tech tools, open data, community organizing, and sustainable digital transformation in Africa—with a global community of contributors.
- Browse open issues: OpenGovAfrica/hacktoberfest/issues
- Find an issue that matches your skills:
good-first-issue🟢 Perfect for beginnersdesign🎨 Visual design tasksdocumentation📝 Writing and editingmarketing📢 Content and campaignsdata📊 Data collection and analysistech💻 Development tasks
- Comment: "I'd like to work on this issue"
- Wait for assignment by a maintainer before starting work
- Verify the issue has the
hacktoberfestorhacktoberfest-acceptedlabel
When assigned, work in the appropriate team repository (not this one):
# Example: Fork and clone the team repository
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/marketing.git
cd marketing
git checkout -b issue-10-social-calendarMake your changes, commit with clear messages:
git add .
git commit -m "Add: Social media calendar for Q4 2025 (Issue #10)"
git push origin issue-10-social-calendar- Open a PR in the team repo (not this hacktoberfest repo)
- Use proper format:
[Area]: Brief description (Fixes OpenGovAfrica/hacktoberfest#XX) - Reference the issue in your PR description:
Fixes OpenGovAfrica/hacktoberfest#12 - Add the label
hacktoberfest-accepted(request help if needed) - Request review from your team lead
- Maintainers will review your PR (usually 2-5 days)
- Make requested changes promptly
- Once merged, the issue closes automatically
- Your PR counts toward Hacktoberfest! 🎉
Scenario: You're assigned Issue #12, "Design a new event banner."
- ✅ Comment: "I'd like to work on this."
- ⏳ Wait to be assigned by a maintainer
- 🔧 Complete your work in the Design Repo
- 📤 Open a PR:
Design: Event Banner (Fixes OpenGovAfrica/hacktoberfest#12) - 🏷️ Add
hacktoberfest-acceptedlabel - 👀 Request a review from your team lead
- 🎊 When merged, celebrate your contribution!
- Focus on quality - Make meaningful contributions
- Read issue descriptions carefully before starting
- Ask questions if anything is unclear
- Test your work thoroughly before submitting
- Write clear commit messages that explain your changes
- Respond to feedback promptly and professionally
- Use inclusive language and make work accessible
- Reference issues properly in your PRs
Before submitting your PR:
- Code/content follows project guidelines
- Changes have been tested
- Documentation is updated (if needed)
- Commit messages are clear and descriptive
- PR description references the issue
-
hacktoberfest-acceptedlabel is added
| ❌ Don't | ✅ Do Instead |
|---|---|
Open PRs in the hacktoberfest repo |
Open PRs in the appropriate team repository |
| Start work before being assigned | Wait for assignment confirmation |
| Forget to reference the issue | Always use Fixes OpenGovAfrica/hacktoberfest#XX |
Forget the hacktoberfest-accepted label |
Add the label or ask a maintainer |
| Submit trivial/spam contributions | Focus on meaningful, valuable work |
| Copy-paste without understanding | Understand the context and requirements |
| Ignore feedback or reviews | Respond promptly and make requested changes |
Have a new idea to add value? You can create your own issues if:
- ✅ It directly improves/supports an OpenGov Africa project
- ✅ It's meaningful, specific, and has clear value
- ✅ You can articulate the problem and proposed solution
- ✅ It aligns with our mission and values
- Choose the appropriate team repository
- Click "New Issue"
- Provide detailed description:
- What problem does this solve?
- What's the expected outcome?
- Any technical requirements or constraints?
- Reference related work if applicable
- Add appropriate labels
- Submit and wait for maintainer approval
Important: Self-created issues still need maintainer approval and assignment before you can work on them.
This repository (hacktoberfest) is for issues only. Actual work happens in team repositories:
| Area / Team | Repository | Focus Area | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🎨 Design | design | Visual assets, branding, UX | - |
| 💻 Tech/Dev | tech | Tools, platforms, automation | tech@opengovafrica.org |
| 📢 Marketing | marketing | Content, campaigns, social media | events@opengovafrica.org |
| 📊 Research/Data | research | Datasets, analysis, insights | research@opengovafrica.org |
| 📂 Open Data | open-data | Public datasets | - |
| 👥 HR | hr | Volunteer coordination | hr@opengovafrica.org |
| 📚 Documentation | docs | Technical writing | - |
Reference format in PRs:
Related to OpenGovAfrica/hacktoberfest#XX
Note: Don't see a repo you need? Just ask and tell us why—it can be created!
💬 Discord Support (Fastest)
- Join: https://discord.gg/Eswe4cvvMM
- Introduce yourself in
#general - Ask in
#helpor team-specific channels - Tag mentors with
@maintaineror@team-lead
💡 GitHub Discussions
- Visit: https://github.com/OpenGovAfrica/OpenGovAfrica/discussions
- Search existing questions before posting
- Provide context when asking questions
📖 Documentation
- 90-Day Roadmap - Current priorities
- Community Drive - Reference materials
- General inquiries: Contact through GitHub issues
- Team-specific: See team repository READMEs
We celebrate every contribution!
- 🌟 Contributor Spotlights on social media
- 🎤 Monthly Recognition in community calls
- 📈 Growth Pathways to leadership roles
- 🎓 Certificates for significant contributions
- 👑 Maintainer Opportunities for consistent contributors
Contribute consistently, help others, and express interest. We're actively looking for maintainers to:
- Guide projects and scope issues
- Review PRs and mentor contributors
- Ensure quality and support the community
Mention your interest in the Contributor Form, on Discord, or in an issue!
Learn more: Governance Model
- 📝 General Contributor Form - Join teams
- 🎓 Git & GitHub Tutorial
- 📖 Markdown Guide
- 🌐 Org Community Drive
Q: Can non-coders join?
A: Absolutely! We welcome designers, writers, researchers, translators, community managers, and more.
Q: I'm new to open source. Where do I start?
A: Look for issues labeled good-first-issue and join our Discord for guidance!
Q: What counts for Hacktoberfest?
A: PRs merged in repos with the hacktoberfest topic or labeled hacktoberfest-accepted.
Q: How do I know a repo is eligible?
A: Check the repository's "Topics" section or ask a maintainer.
Q: How long does PR review take?
A: Usually 2-5 days. Maintainers are volunteers, so please be patient.
Q: Can I work on multiple issues?
A: Yes, but complete one before starting another to ensure quality.
Q: What if I can't finish an issue?
A: No problem! Just let the maintainer know so they can reassign it.
Q: Do I need special permissions?
A: No, just fork the repo, make changes, and submit a PR. Maintainers will handle labels.
Q: Where can I get help?
A: Use Discord (#help channel), GitHub Discussions, or tag a maintainer on issues.
Thanks to all our amazing contributors who make OpenGov Africa possible! 🎉
This project follows the all-contributors specification. Contributions of any kind are welcome!
OpenGov Africa is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all contributors.
- 🟢 Transparency, Accountability, Inclusion, Innovation
- 🤝 Welcoming all—regardless of background, experience, or skill level
- 💪 Safe, respectful collaboration—never discriminate, always support
- 🌈 Recognition of diverse perspectives and contributions
We expect:
- Respectful and constructive communication
- Collaboration over competition
- Openness to feedback and learning
- Zero tolerance for harassment or discrimination
Read our full Code of Conduct.
Hacktoberfest 2025 is live!
Stay Connected:
- 📸 Instagram: @opengovafrica
- 🐦 Twitter/X: @opengovafrica
- 💼 LinkedIn: OpenGov Africa
- 👥 Facebook: @OpenGov Africa
- 📺 YouTube: @OpenGov Africa
Share your contributions:
#Hacktoberfest2025 #OpenGovAfrica #OpenSource #CivicTech
This project is open source and available under the MIT License.
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OpenGov Africa — Transparent. Accountable. Innovative. Inclusive.
Celebrate Hacktoberfest. Make real change.
Built with ❤️ by contributors across Africa and beyond.